Back in the late 1980s, before performance tuner AMG became an official branch of Mercedes-Benz, the Affalterbach-based personal trainer of three-pointed stars took an off-the-showroom 300E sedan, stuffed it full of massaged V-8 (first a 5.6 liter, later a 6.0) and a catalog's worth of track-tuned chassis bits, and dubbed the hugely fast and expensive result "The Hammer."
So if that was The Hammer, what do we call AMG's latest, far more powerful and formidable tool? Maybe "The Cannon?"
AMG is really on its game. Whereas the original tuning company was best known for building mostly one-dimensional sedans (fast in a straight line, clumsy and unbalanced in corners), the 21st Century AMG, now officially the hyper-performance division of Mercedes-Benz, has of late been cranking out full-bodied supercars with all rough edges smoothed away (i.e., the CLK63 Black Series, the SL63 AMG). With the arrival of the 2010 E63 AMG, based on the all-new E-class sedan, rivals like the BMW M5 and the Cadillac CTS-V may very likely scurry for cover.
Monday, July 6, 2009
2010 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG
2009 Nissan 370Z
The Nissan 370Z is all new for 2009. Almost every piece and component of the 370Z has been re-designed by Nissan. I read a review stating: “this is the fastest production Z ever built.” Amen to that. The car (especially the rear) is definitely chopped over the older versions, has wider-flared fenders, a shorter wheelbase, a lot less room inside than the earlier versions from the 90’s, but it now has sportier lines and is one sharp car! Most of all, it is a blast to drive (it knocks the socks off of the 4th generation version that I owned)!!! I haven’t driven a Z (or even ridden in one) since I had my 1993 300ZX, and this new version did not disappoint.
Pros:
* Stiff, sports-car suspension
* Blazing acceleration
* Seriously comfortable seats
* Excellent handling ability
* Simple, clean interior (not a lot of bells and whistles)
Cons:
* Stiff, sports-car suspension (seemed to have been tuned for the track, because it barely budged)
* Blind spots that you could miss a bus in
* Not much more room inside for anything but an extra passenger, a purse and a briefcase in the back
Toyota 4Runner Sport
Launched in 1984, the 4Runner has always been Toyota’s smaller and more affordable sibling to the proficient Land Cruiser. Even though The original 4Runner was a compact SUV and little more than a Toyota pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, it proved itself as being rugged and tough. Over the years, the 4Runner has earned its own reputation as a durable vehicle — off-road and on.
Pros
* Better fuel economy than most V6 engines in its class
* Comfortable ride and responsive handling makes you forget that you’re driving a truck
* Intelligent shift patterns from the 5-speed gearbox account for smooth performance
Cons
* Interior is overdue for a makeover
* Third rowing seating suitable only for munchkins, yoga masters, or inflicting torture upon backseat drivers who need a timeout
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
First Drive: 2009 Aston Martin DBS
As this is written, the latest James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, is exploding across movie screens, and once again Daniel Craig's Agent 007 is at the wheel of an Aston Martin DBS. Unfortunately, the car doesn't fare much better than the DBS in 2006's Casino Royale, which 007 managed to total after just a brief spin. (One wonders how much Aston Martin paid for this privilege, and whether the brand's marketers read the scripts.)
Those whose Astons are not government issued probably treat the DBS, the most expensive and exclusive Aston Martin, a bit more carefully. It commands an eye-watering $100,000 premium over the DB9 on which it's based. True, the DBS is extensively reworked underneath its rippling, muscular skin. Carbon fiber in the hood, door surrounds, trunk lid, and trunk compartment - not to mention more noticeable but less structural areas like the door armrests, the outside mirror supports, and the rear diffuser - helps the DBS travel some 200 pounds lighter than the DB9. The car's V-12 engine is bumped up from 469 hp to 510 hp, the net effect being that the DBS shaves 0.3 second off the DB9's factory-measured 0-to-62-mph time, with the max Aston blasting to that speed in 4.3 seconds on its way to 191 mph. New this year is an optional six-speed, paddleshifted automatic transmission (a true manual remains standard) and an audiophile-quality Bang & Olufsen sound system, complete with tweeters that rise up out of the dash.
2010 Ford Mustang GT
Decades of pony car dominance (in the showroom, if not always at the track) have endowed the Ford Mustang with the type of confidence that renders garish demonstrations of machismo unnecessary. The 2010 Mustang is like the sedate old dude in the back of the bar who's kicked so much ass that he has nothing left to prove.
It's so comfortable in its success that it feels no need for outlandish spoilers, pathologically oversensitive throttle calibrations, or faux carbon-fiber trim to call attention to itself. In fact, the muscular GT is so docile and easy to drive, you could use it to teach a teenager how to drive a stick.
Ford really needn't worry much about the upcoming flurry of comparisons that will be made between its pony car and the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, because the outcome of those comparisons is irrelevant to the Mustang buyer. That person won't care that the base V-6 Camaro produces almost as much horsepower as the Mustang GT's V-8. Or that the Camaro's drop-to-your-knees styling will turn as many heads as the Mustang doesn't. And the solid rear axle? Hell, that hasn't stopped more than nine million people from buying Mustangs so far, and it won't matter now, either.
No need to change anything, then - the 2010 Mustang receives nothing more than a comprehensive face-lift in preparation for archrival Camaro's appearance. The freshly restyled outer shell makes the new Mustang look more compact and taut than last year's car, but it's actually half an inch longer. The prancing pony on the grille has grown in size, too, and is more chiseled. To complete the sinister look, the chrome emblem is tinted on GT models, which are also distinguished by a more aggressive front fascia. New, squinty headlights are vaguely reminiscent of the 2006 Mustang Giugiaro concept, and the car has grown rounded rear haunches that remind us a little of the Dodge Charger. One thing the Charger doesn't have, however, is three-segment taillights, illuminated by LEDs, that light up sequentially when doing turn-signal duty. OK, so maybe the new Mustang does have at least one garish, let's-brawl feature.
The base Mustang uses the same old 4.0-liter V-6 that produces 210 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. GT models get the V-8 from last year's Bullitt - a 4.6-liter, 24-valve V-8 that's rated at 315 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque and has a 6500-rpm redline. Both engines bolt to a five-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed automatic, and each breathes through a half-inch-larger exhaust (three inches in diameter on the V-6, three-and-a-half inches on the V-8). Wheel sizes, previously sixteen to eighteen inches, now measure between seventeen and nineteen inches. GTs with the largest wheels also receive a strut-tower brace, but otherwise, the only substantial changes to the chassis are revisions to the dampening for better body control and a smoother ride.
Ford knows its Mustang customers well, whether they're track junkies, quarter-mile rockers, or just people who want a cool-looking sporty car. And by making the 2010 Mustang the same, only better, Ford is giving those customers exactly what they want. The confident Mustang doesn't have to worry. Even if the Camaro winds up being the better car - like it was through the 1990s - Mustang buyers won't care.
